Problem with Range on Trip Odometer

[rrbhokies]

Have an 07 CRV EX. When I filled up my gas tank, the trip computer said I had a range of about 325 miles.

After driving about 50 miles, my avg. mpg was showing as 23mpg and it said my range left was about 310 miles. That makes sense since a 15.9 gallon tank at 23mpg is about a 365 mile range.

However, as the tank got lower and lower, I was on the last bar on the fuel guage, the "low fuel" idiot light had come on, I had gone 285 miles, the range showed 8 miles left and my average mpg was 22.3

Now, if you do the math, a 15.9 gallon tank at an avg. mpg of 22.3 should be about 355 miles. However, my odometer said I had only gone 285 miles and it only showed 8 miles left.

Sure enough, when I filled up, it only took 13.4 gallons. I still had 2.5 gallons of gas left, even though the trip computer showed my range only had 8 miles left.

Has anyone experienced any issues with the accuracy of their trip computer in the 07 CRVs?

[2RedV's]

Have an 07 CRV EX. When I filled up my gas tank, the trip computer said I had a range of about 325 miles.

After driving about 50 miles, my avg. mpg was showing as 23mpg and it said my range left was about 310 miles. That makes sense since a 15.9 gallon tank at 23mpg is about a 365 mile range.

However, as the tank got lower and lower, I was on the last bar on the fuel guage, the "low fuel" idiot light had come on, I had gone 285 miles, the range showed 8 miles left and my average mpg was 22.3

Now, if you do the math, a 15.9 gallon tank at an avg. mpg of 22.3 should be about 355 miles. However, my odometer said I had only gone 285 miles and it only showed 8 miles left.

Sure enough, when I filled up, it only took 13.4 gallons. I still had 2.5 gallons of gas left, even though the trip computer showed my range only had 8 miles left.

Has anyone experienced any issues with the accuracy of their trip computer in the 07 CRVs?The computer is a "best guess" and more of an amusement piece. I have owned many vehicles with fuel mileage computers built-in. Some were sorta accurate, some were not.

[Black Pearl]

The computer is a "best guess" and more of an amusement piece.

"An amusment piece" That cracked me up. The engineers at Honda place various amusements in vehicle for our entertainment. The door handles, the itsy bitsy storage compartments ("Well my dearest Lady Pearl, what tiny things can we store in these cubbies today?" "I have buttons, paperclips and bobbypins."), and that stupid tray are further amusements. The tray is especially amusing. You can store stuff under it, but if you try to get it out, you have to drop the tray to reach it, but you can't drop the tray because you have stuff stored under it. Why the hell do you have to buy leather seats to get a storage compartment.

I filled up last night. The computer said I had 30 miles left. There was no low fuel warning and I brimmed the tank at 13.01 gallons. So I had over 2 gallons left. The graphical gas gauge is another amusement when you get down that low. I have to put my glasses on to see it.

The one thing I have noticed is that the gauge seems somewhat linear compared to all of my previous cars. I would fill up and drive for days on Full. Then when you got below 1/4 tank, you could watch the needle move.
The CR-V seems fairly linear by comparison.

[rrbhokies]

I filled up last night. The computer said I had 30 miles left. There was no low fuel warning and I brimmed the tank at 13.01 gallons. So I had over 2 gallons left. The graphical gas gauge is another amusement when you get down that low. I have to put my glasses on to see it.

The one thing I have noticed is that the gauge seems somewhat linear compared to all of my previous cars. I would fill up and drive for days on Full. Then when you got below 1/4 tank, you could watch the needle move.
The CR-V seems fairly linear by comparison.

I'm not sure I'm willing to just right off the trip computer as an "amusement piece", but I agree that they are somewhat hit or miss. The sad part is that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to write code that can calculate the remaining miles based upon the avg. miles you're currently getting based on a 15.9 gallon tank. It's not like the computer isn't recording all this information.

Besides, if we can't trust the trip computer, then I'm not so sure I'm willing to trust the more high-tech device that calculates when you should change your oil. Come on, if they can't get the trip computer right, how are they supposed to get the oil calculation correct???!!!!!

While the gas guage itself does seem to be pretty linear in showing how much gas is left, the "remaining miles" indicator appears to become inaccurate around a 1/4 of a tank. Up until that point, it will show that you still have about 90 miles left, which is correct, but then, for some reason, it seems to drop about 2 miles for every mile you drive, until the point that you're left with about an 1/8th of a tank left and it's down to showing just a few miles left. By the time the "low fuel" light comes on (which is supposed to at the 2 - 2.5 gallon mark), the display will incorrectly show that you only have a few miles left.

The good news is I'm pretty good with math, so I know that if I'm averaging around 23 miles/gallon, I've got a range of at least 350 miles. Since I reset my "A" odometer at every fill up, I can quickly deduct the miles I've driven from 350 to get a better estimate of how much further I can go.

Further, I can safely assume that when the low fuel light comes on, I still have about 2 gallons left, which means that I still have about 46 miles I can go before I run out of gas.

Now, I know what others will say, and I agree. Once that light comes on, you really should fill up as soon as possible anyways because it's not a good idea to let the tank run all the way down all the time. So, as a general rule, it's better to fill-up whenever the tank gets below a 1/4 tank. Will prevent a lot more problems than just running out of gas and looking stupid on the side of the road. May save your CRV also.

[Black Pearl]

Let us also hope that they also did a better job with the code for the VSA, and the several hundred crash sensors that are supposed to figure out how fast to blow the airbags and tighten the seat belts. ETC ETC.

Pehaps they use some psychological tactic to make you afraid of running the tank too low. "Oh my God, I only have 2 gallons left! I am going to run out of gas in 37 seconds!"

[2RedV's]

Why does filling the fuel tank up early do anything other than help you from running out of fuel?

You must be new to gas mileage/trip computers. I have had them on cars since the late 80's, have used them on rental cars all over the US and Canada, currently have one on a truck I own and have never really seen one yet that was accurate near empty. This is due to lawyers and if you ran out before it said 0 (zero) , you might sue the car manufacturer because you weren't smart enough to fill the car back up with gas before you ran out.

[Biker1651]

hi I have a 06 CRV and would like to know if the trip computer is a aftermarket item that can be installed.

[2RedV's]

hi I have a 06 CRV and would like to know if the trip computer is a aftermarket item that can be installed.No. You could, however, purchase a ScanGuage and it will do essentially the same thing as well as give you a myriad of other info. It simply plugs into the OBDII port.

[Baboy]

The range guide is definitely out. I just re-filled, having driven 273 miles at 20.6. The range meter said 7 miles left. I was able to put 13.2 gallons in, meaning I still had 2.1 left in there. At 20.6, that should be around 43 miles. Like others, I notice that the guide seems fairly accurate until the last 1/4 tank, then it goes haywire.

I used to have a Dodge Caravan with a range meter. It always seemed accurate. I once filled up with the meter showing 4 miles left and was able to put virtually a whole tank-load in. (No, I don't make a point of pushing to the limit, but sometimes it happens.)

I suspect this has nothing to do with law suits, or bad math on Honda's behalf. The owner's manual contains strong warnings about allowing the tank to run out of fuel, because of the damage this can cause. I suspect this is Honda's way of reducing the risk of that happening. But seriously, if they're going to provide a meter, it should be accurate. It is vaguely insulting that Honda apparently thinks its customers have to be treated like children.

Anyway, the strategy is rather pointless and could even backfire. In a rental car, it may make some sense. But as a personal vehicle, a regular driver will soon figure out that the range figure is pretty meaningless at the low end of the tank. With high gas prices, they may then take risks by driving beyond the indicated range in order to get cheaper gas. This then becomes a roll of the dice. For example, if I am in San Jose or San Francisco, gas prices are significantly higher than if I drive 30 miles inland (by as much as 50 cents a gallon). Let's say I am leaving the city to drive home to Sacramento. The range meter says I have 7 miles left. Should I fill up then and there at nearly 5 bucks a gallon, or take the risk of driving 20-30 miles inland and saving 30-50 cents a gallon? Probably, I would put at least some gas in the tank at 5 bucks, though not a full tank. But the point is, if I have to start guessing at what the true range is, why bother with a range meter at all?

[Black Pearl]

I see the range indicator works well for you also. Your absolutely correct, by making it a fiction, it is useless at the bottom end. As Red said way back, an amusement piece. The other disconcerting facet is that the bar indicators on the fuel gauge get a bit hard to discern. So you got 7 miles shown and how many bars? If the warning light comes on, I usually will try to get gas at the first opportunity.

Welcome to club and good luck with your V.

[jeprox]

isnt it that the fuel range meter works much like the MMS? it calculates based on your driving style/condition?

bcoz i have seen the numbers go up n down depending on how i drive. if im cruising down a hill with foot off the gas, the number increases and of course if i'm flooring it up a hill, the number goes down.

[Black Pearl]

Your Canadian so I am not exactly sure how your fuel indicators work. The range takes the average MPG by the amount of fuel left in the tank and estimates how many miles or kilometers you have until you run out of fuel. I haven't paid much attention to it at a fill-up, but if you reset your odometers A or B I could see where it would jump around a bit until you accumulated some mileage. The issue we are talking about is that when you get near the end of the tank, the range becomes artificially low. Its a CYA for Honda, they want you to stop and get gas while there still is fuel left. So rather than being honest, the thing becomes a pessimistic liar. I have shown as low as 7 miles and had over gallon still in the tank.

As our friend, noted this is nice for rental car, it will frighten you into buying gas. But for a car that you drive all the time, you tend to disregard the indication. In my estimation we would be better served with the truth. I just hope that some day it doesn't start telling the truth. I don't want to look down and think ah 10 miles, I still have a gallon and half left and find out no I only have a 1/2 of a gallon.

[jeprox]

i had the gas light come on once, cant remember how much kms. did the gauge say - but i know for sure the the number of bars left was 2 for the gas tank gauge. i was stuck in traffic that time and it did freak me out a bit, i quickly drove to the nearest gas station and fill up :D

[Black Pearl]

When my light comes on, I would estimate that I probably have 4 to 5 liters left in the tank. I don't push my luck with the light. When it comes on, I start looking for a gas station.

[Baboy]

I see the range indicator works well for you also. Your absolutely correct, by making it a fiction, it is useless at the bottom end. As Red said way back, an amusement piece. The other disconcerting facet is that the bar indicators on the fuel gauge get a bit hard to discern. So you got 7 miles shown and how many bars? If the warning light comes on, I usually will try to get gas at the first opportunity.

Welcome to club and good luck with your V.

Thanks for the welcome. I don't remember how many bars were showing at the time. As you say, they are a bit hard to discern anyway. I recollect that the warning light was coming on and so I did fill up pretty soon after that.

I would agree that it's an amusement, except that I am not amused :-) If there's anytime a range meter is going to be useful, it's when the tank is towards the bottom end.

For me, it's just another useless gizmo, alongside Tire Pressure Monitors, "outside temperature displays" and SatNav systems that use DVDs instead of hard-drives (which could be more easily updated by satellite download).

Don't get me wrong. I am very happy with the CRV. It's nifty, comfortable, well appointed and has terrific handling. But if Honda is looking for ideas on improving some of the detail, I know a few places they could start! Cheers!